Ami Fields-Meyer
@fieldsmeyer.com
Co-author of ON COURAGE: Pre-order https://tinyurl.com/yxpvn488 (June 2026 from HarperCollins/Mariner)
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School | Fmr: White House Senior Policy Advisor
Writing: amifieldsmeyer.substack.com
Get in touch: fieldsmeyer.com
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School | Fmr: White House Senior Policy Advisor
Writing: amifieldsmeyer.substack.com
Get in touch: fieldsmeyer.com
Pinned
Ami Fields-Meyer
@fieldsmeyer.com
· Jul 18
One of the first things Vladimir Putin did on becoming president was take over NTV, the TV channel that hosted a satirical puppet show because he didn't like the Putin doll and how he was portrayed. He arrested NTV's owner and only released him when he signed the channel over. #Colbert
I've been saying to friends for a few months that the more I study authoritarianism in other countries, the more concerned I become that the CBS story is the sleeping giant here. The process has been a simmer (people inside the network have spoken out in real-time) but don't mistake slow for safe.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
at a deep instinctive level they can't recognise popular ideas or take them seriously
December 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
at a deep instinctive level they can't recognise popular ideas or take them seriously
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
Imagine watching Sinatra, son of Dolly & Antonini born in Genoa & Sicily, respectively, and Martin, son of Gaetano & Angela, born in Montesilvano, Italy & Ohio respectively, (Angela to parents born in Monasterolo, Italy), and crusading against the value of children of immigrants to the U.S.
December 26, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Imagine watching Sinatra, son of Dolly & Antonini born in Genoa & Sicily, respectively, and Martin, son of Gaetano & Angela, born in Montesilvano, Italy & Ohio respectively, (Angela to parents born in Monasterolo, Italy), and crusading against the value of children of immigrants to the U.S.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
some will leave, some won't, but their very fake anxiety shows how un-civic-minded, how selfish they really are, as if the unimaginable wealth they have isn't already enough.
the flight of the billionaires www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/t...
A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:05 AM
some will leave, some won't, but their very fake anxiety shows how un-civic-minded, how selfish they really are, as if the unimaginable wealth they have isn't already enough.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
More seriously, as most readers here know I helped draft the CA billionaire tax initiative text and you just can't get out of it by setting up a couple of LLCs in Florida. We have thought about how to block these fake paper moves for 4 years.
Billionaires are considering cutting or reducing their ties to California by the end of the year because of a proposed ballot measure that could tax the state’s wealthiest residents.
A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving
It’s uncertain whether the proposal will reach the statewide ballot in November, but some billionaires like Peter Thiel and Larry Page may be unwilling to take the risk.
nyti.ms
December 27, 2025 at 2:03 AM
More seriously, as most readers here know I helped draft the CA billionaire tax initiative text and you just can't get out of it by setting up a couple of LLCs in Florida. We have thought about how to block these fake paper moves for 4 years.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
What these people are doing to the power of calling out real antisemitism, in an incredibly dangerous time of surging global antisemitism….man, it is just so worrisome
December 27, 2025 at 2:08 AM
What these people are doing to the power of calling out real antisemitism, in an incredibly dangerous time of surging global antisemitism….man, it is just so worrisome
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
Every Sunday, protesters from Florida and beyond go to the notorious immigration jail and advocate for its closure
The protesters showing up every week to shut down ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: ‘We will end this’
www.theguardian.com
December 27, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Every Sunday, protesters from Florida and beyond go to the notorious immigration jail and advocate for its closure
A thought-provoking one from @juliaangwin.com in NYT...
"The result was shocking. The moment I switched, I no longer felt an urgent need to look at my iPhone — an urge that I hadn’t known was so strong until it was gone. I experienced a full-bodied sense of relief when the colors faded to gray."
"The result was shocking. The moment I switched, I no longer felt an urgent need to look at my iPhone — an urge that I hadn’t known was so strong until it was gone. I experienced a full-bodied sense of relief when the colors faded to gray."
Opinion | I Killed Color on My Phone. The Result Shocked Me.
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:04 AM
A thought-provoking one from @juliaangwin.com in NYT...
"The result was shocking. The moment I switched, I no longer felt an urgent need to look at my iPhone — an urge that I hadn’t known was so strong until it was gone. I experienced a full-bodied sense of relief when the colors faded to gray."
"The result was shocking. The moment I switched, I no longer felt an urgent need to look at my iPhone — an urge that I hadn’t known was so strong until it was gone. I experienced a full-bodied sense of relief when the colors faded to gray."
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
This has nothing to do with faith or observance btw. It’s just about establishing an official hierarchy of citizenship where they are on top. bsky.app/profile/mark...
Here’s the U.S. government being officially religious in a country with no official religion.
December 25, 2025 at 9:11 PM
This has nothing to do with faith or observance btw. It’s just about establishing an official hierarchy of citizenship where they are on top. bsky.app/profile/mark...
I encourage folks to take in the UN report on the April IDP camp siege in Sudan. Killings, rape and torture in homes, in the main market, in schools, in health centers, in mosques. The violence has not abated and - like Gaza - deserves our attention and energy.
youtu.be/K_GYVl3Bts8?si=U8z8O...
youtu.be/K_GYVl3Bts8?si=U8z8O...
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtu.be
December 25, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I encourage folks to take in the UN report on the April IDP camp siege in Sudan. Killings, rape and torture in homes, in the main market, in schools, in health centers, in mosques. The violence has not abated and - like Gaza - deserves our attention and energy.
youtu.be/K_GYVl3Bts8?si=U8z8O...
youtu.be/K_GYVl3Bts8?si=U8z8O...
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
I am telling you that a large part of their dysfunction is that several Trump officials imagine themselves, constantly, as being in a social media sizzle reel where they display status and dominance over others. Their online personas are driving their actual behavior.
Kash Patel made the FBI buy a custom fleet of armored BMW X5 for him to ride around in. trib.al/9pBbwTB
Patel’s FBI spokesperson claimed—without evidence—that this is actually saving the American taxpayer money. The standard version of the X5 costs about $70,000.
Patel’s FBI spokesperson claimed—without evidence—that this is actually saving the American taxpayer money. The standard version of the X5 costs about $70,000.
December 24, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I am telling you that a large part of their dysfunction is that several Trump officials imagine themselves, constantly, as being in a social media sizzle reel where they display status and dominance over others. Their online personas are driving their actual behavior.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
Merry Xmas to those celebrating!
and a gute khinezishe esn aun a film to the rest of us
and a gute khinezishe esn aun a film to the rest of us
December 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Merry Xmas to those celebrating!
and a gute khinezishe esn aun a film to the rest of us
and a gute khinezishe esn aun a film to the rest of us
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
I wrote for New York magazine about deportations to CECOT in El Salvador, which are bound up with a tradition of US extrajudicial actions in the Americas and further the long arc of concentration camps.
Trump and Bukele’s Concentration Camp
CECOT is no regular prison. It is also a warning.
nymag.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:40 AM
I wrote for New York magazine about deportations to CECOT in El Salvador, which are bound up with a tradition of US extrajudicial actions in the Americas and further the long arc of concentration camps.
Today from @nickkristof.bsky.social:
– US getting closer to UAE as UAE backs RSF forces. Trump+family have started many new biz ventures with UAE
– RSF targeting Black Africans with its mass murder/rape
– "No one, from world leaders to the UN sec gen ... has made (Darfur) a sufficient focus."
– US getting closer to UAE as UAE backs RSF forces. Trump+family have started many new biz ventures with UAE
– RSF targeting Black Africans with its mass murder/rape
– "No one, from world leaders to the UN sec gen ... has made (Darfur) a sufficient focus."
Opinion | This Is What the Murder of a Whole City Looks Like
www.nytimes.com
December 25, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Today from @nickkristof.bsky.social:
– US getting closer to UAE as UAE backs RSF forces. Trump+family have started many new biz ventures with UAE
– RSF targeting Black Africans with its mass murder/rape
– "No one, from world leaders to the UN sec gen ... has made (Darfur) a sufficient focus."
– US getting closer to UAE as UAE backs RSF forces. Trump+family have started many new biz ventures with UAE
– RSF targeting Black Africans with its mass murder/rape
– "No one, from world leaders to the UN sec gen ... has made (Darfur) a sufficient focus."
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
December 25, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
“Like Prime, but with human beings.” Marketing gift link. wapo.st/4axtwZ4
ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses
The Trump administration wants to build seven large-scale deportation hubs to speed up deportations, internal ICE documents show.
wapo.st
December 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
“Like Prime, but with human beings.” Marketing gift link. wapo.st/4axtwZ4
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
The US has sanctioned European researchers and policymakers studying misinformation, framing independent inquiry as a free speech violation. The Trump admin's refusal to allow regulation of platforms is US tech policy by other means—now being enforced through sanctions. Scholars must pay attention.
In a major escalation against the EU, alongside civil society representatives the Trump Administration sanctions former Commissioner Breton for work he did in official capacity ↘️ www.state.gov/releases/off...
Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex - United States Department of State
The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose....
www.state.gov
December 24, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The US has sanctioned European researchers and policymakers studying misinformation, framing independent inquiry as a free speech violation. The Trump admin's refusal to allow regulation of platforms is US tech policy by other means—now being enforced through sanctions. Scholars must pay attention.
As Stephen Miller prepares his very own "Gulag Archipelago" – this time with warehouses holding 5-10K people each – sharing this conversation I did in June with @andreapitzer.bsky.social and @chenoweth.bsky.social.
We answer: what happens when countries start building camps, and how do to stop it?
We answer: what happens when countries start building camps, and how do to stop it?
December 24, 2025 at 5:25 PM
As Stephen Miller prepares his very own "Gulag Archipelago" – this time with warehouses holding 5-10K people each – sharing this conversation I did in June with @andreapitzer.bsky.social and @chenoweth.bsky.social.
We answer: what happens when countries start building camps, and how do to stop it?
We answer: what happens when countries start building camps, and how do to stop it?
I recommend @andreapitzer.bsky.social's ONE LONG NIGHT over and over again. I recommend it to those who want to understand our authoritarian moment. I recommend it to those who aren't yet convinced that normal people can blow past the lessons of history even today. And I recommend it to you.
December 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I recommend @andreapitzer.bsky.social's ONE LONG NIGHT over and over again. I recommend it to those who want to understand our authoritarian moment. I recommend it to those who aren't yet convinced that normal people can blow past the lessons of history even today. And I recommend it to you.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
"But when the rule of law in a country is displaced by arbitrary authoritarian rule, as happened in Putin’s Russia, the results are predictable: investors and companies flee to more stable environs as the economy declines." — @davidrlurie.com
Make America Weak
Trump is systematically undermining America's interests at home and abroad.
www.publicnotice.co
December 24, 2025 at 12:02 AM
"But when the rule of law in a country is displaced by arbitrary authoritarian rule, as happened in Putin’s Russia, the results are predictable: investors and companies flee to more stable environs as the economy declines." — @davidrlurie.com
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
"Treachery" is such a strange word to use when attacking an ally our government has already abandoned.
From the Atlantic attempt to justify Bari Weiss' decision. What's Canadian for "perfidious Albion?"
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
"Treachery" is such a strange word to use when attacking an ally our government has already abandoned.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
What we saw inside Delaney Hall is the betrayal of the American Dream.
December 23, 2025 at 9:45 PM
What we saw inside Delaney Hall is the betrayal of the American Dream.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
I'm quoted in this JTA piece on Jews, Darfur, and Gaza by @andrewlapin.bsky.social. Of course, some perspectives voiced by others in the article I don't share, but Andrew did a nice job and it's good that we're grappling as a community. Hope we grow into a more consistent posture on human rights.
December 23, 2025 at 2:27 AM
I'm quoted in this JTA piece on Jews, Darfur, and Gaza by @andrewlapin.bsky.social. Of course, some perspectives voiced by others in the article I don't share, but Andrew did a nice job and it's good that we're grappling as a community. Hope we grow into a more consistent posture on human rights.
Reposted by Ami Fields-Meyer
After what we're seeing at CBS, if today is not the perfect day for everyone to find some independent journalism & nonprofit newsrooms to support... what day could be better?
December 22, 2025 at 7:29 PM
After what we're seeing at CBS, if today is not the perfect day for everyone to find some independent journalism & nonprofit newsrooms to support... what day could be better?
I'm quoted in this JTA piece on Jews, Darfur, and Gaza by @andrewlapin.bsky.social. Of course, some perspectives voiced by others in the article I don't share, but Andrew did a nice job and it's good that we're grappling as a community. Hope we grow into a more consistent posture on human rights.
December 23, 2025 at 2:27 AM
I'm quoted in this JTA piece on Jews, Darfur, and Gaza by @andrewlapin.bsky.social. Of course, some perspectives voiced by others in the article I don't share, but Andrew did a nice job and it's good that we're grappling as a community. Hope we grow into a more consistent posture on human rights.